Workin' It

He's workin' it...

Trying really hard...
Hoping...
To be...
A thumb sucker.
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Where's that paci?

Cheese

Weight

At 6 weeks Evan weighs 7 pounds 11 ounces.

At 3.5 Ryan weighs 29.5 pounds.

At [ahem] Momma weighs [ahem].

(You didn't really think I'd disclose that information did you?)

Ryan

Oh my Ryan. Ryan...Ryan...Ryan.

At this moment I'm just glad he quit crying because I was about 2 seconds away from, as my mom always said "giving him something to cry about!" Okay...not really...I was starting to get a little frustrated though.

Ryan has started to assert his independence in many ways. Sometimes it's good. Sometimes it's just plain challenging. Tonight was the first time in 3 1/2 years that he climbed out of his bed. He's still in a crib...only because he's never tried to climb out and why mess with a good thing. Also because of all of our life circumstances over the last year. Well tonight was the night. Now it's time to move the crib out and for him to graduate to his big-boy bed! This leaves me with a new challenge and quite frankly one that I wasn't wanting to fight until later...how in the world do I keep him in bed!!!!!???? He goes to bed just fine when he is confined. He fights it like crazy when he isn't.

My little independent kid has brought on more challenges. Most of them are just that...challenges. Nothing big. One of our challenges is running. He loves to run. Unfortunately he doesn't pay close enough attention to his surroundings. He so badly wants to have freedom but until he learns to walk safely beside his family instead of running off and darting away he is stuck with physical boundaries. I soooo wish he would learn this. It would be so much easier (and more fun) to just let him walk beside me in the store and other places.

Ryan's independence-loving has been good too. He is growing up to be a big boy and he now takes pride in being "the big boy". He helps me get things. He helps me cook. He can get his own snacks most of the time and he usually asks before he gets them (or at least he talks about it while he's getting something so I know what he's doing). He can play outside by himself although he loves for me to come outside too. I love being outside and playing with him, but it's nice that he can play independently since sometimes I just can't go outside and play. He has started picking out his own clothes although he really just doesn't care. No clothes are his first choice. He walks safely to the car from the house by himself and waits by the door (most of the time) which is contradictory to what I just talked about. It's the walking safely anywhere else that we have trouble with. He can be told to stay in the yard and with a few gentle reminders will do so. He pushes it all the way to the edge though, but he thoroughly enjoys that freedom. He is learning to make decisions for himself.

I try to encourage his independence as much as possible. I try to give him as many choices as possible. What to wear? What time to go to bed (8:20 0r 8:30)? What color of cool-aid to make? Nap time in 5 minutes or 10? Peanut butter/jelly sandwich or turkey and cheese? Etc. Etc. Etc.

Ryan loves his baby brother. Most of the time. He caresses his head gently. He gives hugs. He gives kisses. He tickles his belly. He is gentle. Most of the time. Occasionally he expresses his dislike. "Mom put baby brother on the bed" or a not-so-gentle bonk on the head. One of the cutest things is when Evan is crying and Ryan calls out "Hang on baby brother. Hang on baby brother."

Another cute thing Ryan says these days is "I'm a good boy." He reminds me several times a day. "Good boys get toys. I'm a good boy." "Good boys can..." I remind him often that he's a good boy and a big boy. I'm hoping that the reminders help him feel a little extra special from time to time since Evan gets a lot of attention. "Good boys get to go to the playground. Only big boys can play on the playground."

Another cute one..."I want to lub (love) on Momma." Can you guess that I absolutely LOVE when I here him say "I want to lub on Momma" ?

There's a lot of things he's started doing or saying that I'll share as I recall them. Sometime I'll tell you about "washing feet".

Evan Update

Wow I can't believe my little guy is almost 6 weeks old. I got a new (to me) Acer so now I can sit comfortably while rocking...or burping...my little one and type away on this crazy blog that has been somewhat neglected for the last 5+ weeks.

A lot has been going on and I'd like to try to capture our life over the last 5 weeks on this blog, but I know my memory well enough to give warning that the next few posts may be a haphazard compilation of thoughts.

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Evan is doing great! He is healthy and strong and an absolute joy. He is eating very well and I seem to be producing plenty. He's a gassy little baby. Poor little guy he just grunts all the time. I started giving him gripe water recently to help with some of his discomfort. I'm also trying to watch what I eat. If I could find a food(s) that caused him more gas I'd eliminate those from my diet. Likewise if I could find the foods that kept him the most "regular" I'd eat those every day.

Surprisingly we haven't had a doctor's appointment since he last saw the dr. the week after his birth. Surprising I guess because I'm so used to life with a preemie which equals at least 1 or 2...maybe 3...appointments each week for months on end. It's different. Our last appointment was to check out a rash that Evan had developed but was determined to be a sensitivity coupled with baby acne. I guess he might be my sensitive kid. I've changed laundry soap to a perfume-free/dye-free ALL. I've been using a mild soap and lotion for Evan's bath and because his small little bottom gets irritated easily I'm sticking to name brand diapers like Pampers or Huggies. Crazy...I know. I'm such a store brand person. We haven't seen the doctor since then and his weight at the time was 6 pounds 5 ounces. I'm anxious to see how much he's grown.

Just this week Evan has started noticing the toys dangling above his head while he lays on a play mat. (Fully supervised I might add. I learned very quickly that an unsupervised baby around a hyper-active toddler is not a good idea.) He has also started making other sounds, almost like cooing but not exactly. When he's not grunting, that is. It's so sweet and so exciting to see him developing.

He knows his Momma and responds to my voice immediately. We spend a lot of time together. He relaxes when he's laying on my chest and seems to find comfort with my touch. Most of our nights end (at 3 or 4 a.m.) with him laying on my chest while I recline in a chair because he can finally find comfort and I can finally get some sleep. Usually after his 3 or 4 a.m. feeding he grunts and groans so much that everyone gets more sleep if he and I snuggle in the chair together instead of him grunting and crying and I reaching into his cradle to give him the pacifier every 2 or 3 minutes. Do what works...right?!

Speaking of sleep. He's doing pretty well. We've had a handful of really good nights and a handful of really bad nights. The really good nights are when he sleeps 5 hours between feedings. The really bad nights are when he wakes up every hour or 2 because he's gassy and uncomfortable or because he wants to eat. Most of our nights he sleeps 3 hours between feedings. Those nights are doable. I'm usually very sleepy come early morning but once I'm up and have had a cup of coffee all is well. Naps are pretty good too!

And there you have it! An Evan update! I'll update more later...when I'm not so tired and I can actually think straight. :)

Heart Meds

This is just to see if all the grandparents have plenty of heart meds available. Of course if they didn't need them before they may need them now!


-----Ryan's New Discovery-----

-----Perfect 10!-----

His form with remarkable with a smooth take-off, sticking the landing softly yet with solid determination.

PS...I think it's time to enroll this boy in gymnastics.

Watering

Pics

One of these days I'll take the time to write about the goings-on around here, but not today....

One Month Old (Yesterday)

Zoo Trip

Faces

Painting, Peeking, Sharing

Cute

Bit The Dust!

I promise I haven't forsaken the blog (and all those desperately wanting to see pictures). Unfortunately my little Acer, my #1 logging computer, bit the dust. It had war with a cup of coffee and the coffee won. :( The worst part...all my pics from the last 6 months were on that computer. Hopefully we can still retrieve those. It really hit me hard though and I haven't even been on the computer much.

But, alas...

enjoy smiling upon these...

Runnin' in the Rain

Bili Update

I took Evan to the County Hospital lab on Saturday morning for labwork to check his bilirubin levels. The poor lab tech cringed when I came walking in with such a little one. He said he hated sticking the little guys. Evan did great and bled like a champ (heal stick) and the tech said he'd stick him any day over most of the babies he has to run labs on. He was a really nice guy and gave me some good advice.

The point...

Evan had a couple of really big poops the night prior to this and between those and the bili lights his level dropped significantly. The pediatrician called late in the afternoon and said we could take him out of the lights. He didn't need them anymore as long as he continued to eat well and have regular bowel movements.

He has been doing quite well since.

My Sentiments Exactly

Functioning

Whew! 2 kids is definitely different than just 1. Today was the first day I've had both the boys all day long all by myself. It wasn't in the original "plans" but plans seem to change quickly. We've been staying with my mom this week which has been a huge blessing. She can help with Ryan and, as a bonus, she gets to be with her newest grandbaby. Today's original plan of staying with Nana changed as a result of yesterday.

Yesterday Evan had his first check-up with the pediatrician, Dr. O. Dr. O and I go back to the days of Brandy, but because of insurance issues we went without her during Ryan's infancy. However, recently we switched doctors and now we are blessed she is taking care of both of the boys. She was so excited about Evan! She did all the regular checks and said he is a healthy and strong little boy. All things are where they should be, working like they're supposed to, and everything checks out just fine. The only *issue* that, unfortunately, reared its ugly head was jaundice. We started noticing a hint of yellow while we were in the hospital awaiting discharge. At that time Dr. K (the pediatrician caring for Evan while at the hospital) checked his bilirubin level and found it to be a tad bit elevated. Dr. O checked it yesterday and called us with the results last night. It was too high and phototherapy would be needed for a few days.

Basically here's the scoop...bilirubin is the result of the normal breakdown of red blood cells. The liver processes it and it's all excreted in poop. Evan hasn't been pooping quite as regularly as needed to excrete all the bilirubin. This has been because for the first 3 or 4 days of his life his nutritional intake was minimal since my milk didn't come in until day 4. This is, again, another normal thing although it doesn't make me feel any better about the whole situation. Everything is now working on my end of the deal and he is getting plenty of good nutrition. Now it's just a matter of him pooping more, so pray for poop! He should start pooping VERY regularly before too long. (You know what I'm talking about if you've ever had a breastfed baby.)

Me

I'm doing well. For having just had a c-section I'm feeling great and have had minimal pain. I'm still taking a maintenance dose of pain meds and anti-inflammatories to keep from having pain and I'll keep up that routine at least until the end of the weekend. Like I said, my milk just came in. Thankfully once it came...it came! I really have no worries at this point that Evan isn't getting enough. Hormones are changing and I've gone from weepy and crying at silly little things to biting your head off in an instant. Most of the tears have been related to worries about breastfeeding issues (something very new to me) and feeling overwhelmed with everything. As far as the other...those feelings are mostly related to frustrations that things aren't going quite like I want them to go. I'm up and around more, but I'm taking it slow. My feet still look like elephant feet and the fluid built up in my ears is driving me crazy (everything sounds odd and simple sounds like fans running or music playing are nothing but roaring). I'll be glad when my body decides to get rid of all this excess fluid.Home-coming day.

Ryan
Ryan is doing well. Some days he's great and others are a different story. He has been very clingy to me and has shown great concern that I'm leaving again to go to the hospital. I told him the other day that we wouldn't go back to the hospital except to visit our friends. He reminds me of that often. He has been pushing buttons and stretching the limits like crazy. It's so overwhelming at times. My mom reassured me that he was just testing me to see if I still have *enough* for him...enough time, enough love, enough attention. He's also testing to see if I can hold it all together and maintain my status as mom, caregiver, fixer, cartoon-watcher, and boundary-setter. I'll be glad when all of his tests are over. I hope I pass. I don't even want to know the consequences of a failing grade on any of his tests. Ryan loves his little brother and wants to be near him often. He thinks it's hilarious when Evan cries and he has recently started to *compete* with the noises Evan makes. Today when Evan was crying Ryan tried to soothe him by sharing one of his toys. It was pretty sweet.

Evan
Evan is doing well. I'll be glad when the jaundice is gone so we can get back to normal. Our normal includes a lot of snuggle time and even a few hours of midnight kangarooing. He has been eating every hour or 2 around the clock sometimes giving me a 3 or 4 hour stretch. Thankfully at the end of my pregnancy I was so uncomfortable because of the bedrest I wasn't sleeping well at all and was up at least once an hour so Evan's needy schedule hasn't been that difficult for me. I admit I'm tired and I have trouble staying awake during some of our midnight feedings, but it could be worse. He has been breastfeeding well although he decided to abandon one side for a day or two. Thankfully through pumping and diligently working with him my supply on that side has increased and he has started latching on to the left side once again. He won't ever start on that side though. No one warned me just how painful breastfeeding can be but I think we're just about over that hump...at least I hope so. At his doctor's appointment yesterday he weighed 6 pounds which the doctor said is normal. She wants him back up to his birthweight by next Thursday. If he keeps eating well he shouldn't have a problem with that. He's in the 10% for weight, 5% for height and 25% for head circumference.


Now just for laughs...because I know you will...here is my story of comic relief (although it wasn't very funny at the time).
The doctor's office called this morning around 0830 saying that all the paperwork had been faxed and we should be contacted by the home-health company soon and the bili lights would be delivered this morning. We waited and waited and waited. Finally at 11:00 the tech called and said he was on his way with the equipment. Okay! Ryan, Evan and I went outside on the front porch to wait for the guy. We played and played and played. Still...no guy. At 12:30 I decided it was time to go inside and get some lunch and start thinking about nap time. Ryan wanted a peanut-butter-jelly sandwich. I decided to let him make it (that's something he and I do as a treat). I set him up with a piece of bread and the half-empty jar of peanut butter and the jar of jelly with 2 or 3 spoonfuls of jelly left at the bottom and he proceeded to make his sandwich. He's done it several times and actually does a pretty good job. Well...Evan started crying and wanted to eat too, so I thought it a good idea to feed him too especially since some stranger was coming to the house and I sure didn't want to be a bit exposed in front of him. Since I'm new to this breastfeeding thing and all I haven't mastered the art of walking around while Evan eats nor am I very good at keeping a blanket over the whole ordeal either. It's not like I really need one around the house anyway. I took Evan into the living room and began feeding him, asking Ryan from time to time how he was doing and if he needed help and how was his sandwich, etc., etc., etc. After a few minutes of ominous silence I decided to check on one and burp the other. What I found on the other side of the fireplace was quite a shock.
Peanut butter was everywhere. He was painting with it! In his hair. On his face. Covering each leg. Dripping from each arm. So now I'm thinking, "what do I do?" This was funny. This was creative (something I love). This was challenging. This was very messy. This was my fault and I most definitely couldn't be mad.

So what did I do...I answered the phone. It was the home-health company saying they thought they were here and sure enough their medically decal-ed van was sitting out front. Oh dear. I escorted the man in with all his equipment explaining I was a little frazzled and after seeing Ryan he laughed and understood. I threatened Ryan to stay in his chair at the island. He thought it was funny to try to get down but he actually stayed while I commenced with the paperwork and receiving of instructions for Evan's new home. The man left. Evan, now screaming, was reminding me he hadn't finished his meal. I called Daddy begging for help. He was too busy. I escorted Ryan to the bathroom. Stripped him. Ran water in the tub. Added some bubbles. And let him splash around. Evan and I sat on the stool finishing up his meal watching the splashing take place for awhile until it was obvious a little assistance was needed, so I took my free hand and wiped off Ryan's peanut-butter painted body. Bath time ended after a cup of water was thrown onto the floor. I clothed my toddler. Burped my baby. And...Nap time!!! Ahhh...